Saving Earth: Brazil pledges ‘green’ World Cup

<strong><strong>  </strong></strong><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <strong><strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sk7ATi1lWdM/U4aYyWfEeKI/AAAAAAAAAbc/vUtjC1LCr6M/s1600/714511-environment-1401309427-836-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Sk7ATi1lWdM/U4aYyWfEeKI/AAAAAAAAAbc/vUtjC1LCr6M/s1600/714511-environment-1401309427-836-160x120.jpg" width="200" /></a></strong></strong></div> <strong><strong><br /></strong></strong><br /> <strong><strong>BRASILIA: </strong> </strong><br /> <br /> <strong>Brazil announced a package of pollution-cutting measures aimed at making this year’s World Cup more environmentally friendly, ranging from an emissions-trading scheme to a ‘green passport’ smart-phone application.</strong><br /> <br /> “We want to score green goals,” said Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira. The World Cup and other major sports events generally leave giant carbon footprints. The government has launched a program to offset that pollution by asking companies to give carbon credits in exchange for the right to advertise themselves as official ‘green seal’ World Cup sponsors.<br /> <br /> “The Cup will open having offset 100% of its direct emissions,” said Teixeira.<br /> <br /> The government also launched a project called ‘green passport’ to encourage football fans to practice environmentally sustainable tourism.<br /> <br /> Anticipating that many will want to explore the country between matches, the project proposes environmentally friendly travel itineraries from each host city, complete with a cell phone app.

Saving Earth: Brazil pledges ‘green’ World Cup

  BRASILIA:   Brazil announced a package of pollution-cutting measures aimed at making this year’s World Cup more environmentally fr...

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Manchester United owner Malcolm Glazer dead at 85

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <strong><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIw1eaC_jng/U4aYOI9Y4AI/AAAAAAAAAbU/B7zqzr-_fGI/s1600/714790-Malcom-1401321144-409-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HIw1eaC_jng/U4aYOI9Y4AI/AAAAAAAAAbU/B7zqzr-_fGI/s1600/714790-Malcom-1401321144-409-160x120.jpg" width="200" /></a></strong></div> <br /> <strong>Malcolm Glazer, the controversial American owner of English Premier League giants Manchester United, died Wednesday. He was 85.</strong><br /> <br /> Glazer gained a global profile through his ownership of United, one of the biggest and best supported football clubs in the world.<br /> <br /> But he was deeply unpopular with hardcore United fans after loading the club with hundreds of millions of dollars in debt following a 2005 buyout.<br /> <br /> His death was announced on the website of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers American football team, one of his other sports franchises.<br /> <br /> “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are saddened to announce the passing of Owner/President Malcolm Glazer earlier this morning at the age of 85,” the statement said.<br /> <br /> “A dynamic business leader, Glazer helped mold the Buccaneers into a model franchise and one respected league-wide.”<br /> <br /> Under Glazer’s stewardship of the Buccaneers, the NFL team enjoyed its first Super Bowl success in 2002.<br /> Shares of Manchester United slipped sharply after Glazer’s death was announced on the New York Stock Exchange late Wednesday.<br /> <br /> Glazer’s death is not expected to have any bearing on the ownership of the club, with his family retaining a 90 percent holding in United.<br /> <br /> His sons Joel and Avram Glazer continue to serve as co-chairmen of the club. Another son, Bryan, remains on the United board.<br /> <br /> “The thoughts of everyone at Manchester United are with his family tonight,” the Premier League club said Wednesday.<br /> <br /> Glazer’s 2005 takeover of United in a leveraged $1.2 billion buyout triggered widespread protests amongst the club’s fans.<br /> <br /> Although Glazer’s reign coincided with a glut of silverware — including five Premier League crowns and the 2008 Champions League title — he remained a hate figure for many supporters.<br /> <br /> Fans have complained that Glazer’s ownership model has forced United to spend millions of pounds servicing the club’s debt — money which could have been spent in strengthening United’s playing staff.<br /> <br /> Nevertheless, Glazer found a consistent and vocal ally in Manchester United’s legendary former manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who insisted the American had been “great” for the club.<br /> <br /> “I am comfortable with the Glazer situation. They have been great,” Ferguson said in 2012, a year before he announced his retirement.<br /> <br /> “They have always backed me whenever I have asked them. I have never faced any opposition.”

Manchester United owner Malcolm Glazer dead at 85

Malcolm Glazer, the controversial American owner of English Premier League giants Manchester United, died Wednesday. He was 85. Glaze...

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Don’t write us off yet, says Sebastian Vettel

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n1K4l4WUVKk/U4aXuEJMm2I/AAAAAAAAAbQ/B3wjDoGGxAI/s1600/714508-Fcopy-1401295608-516-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n1K4l4WUVKk/U4aXuEJMm2I/AAAAAAAAAbQ/B3wjDoGGxAI/s1600/714508-Fcopy-1401295608-516-160x120.jpg" width="200" /></a></strong></div> <br /> <br /> <strong>Quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel believes Red Bull could still capture a title in 2014, despite failing to beat current leaders Mercedes in any race so far this season, according to ESPN.</strong><br /> <br /> Vettel is 77 points adrift from Nico Rosberg after finishing sixth in the drivers’ standings after his early retirement in the recent Monaco Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Red Bull are a considerable 151 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.<br /> <br /> “Mathematically, we are right in there,” said Vettel. “We are looking at the situation race-by-race. Of course it did not go well recently, but we are looking forward to the next races.“For sure we made progress and this proves we are on the right path. We won’t be favourites in the near future, but over a race distance, anything can happen. There are always reasons for setbacks, and I do not believe in bad luck. We just have to sort the problems out.”<br /> <br /> Vettel also rubbished rumours circulating in some media outlets about his possible move away from Red Bull following his struggle to adapt to the RB10.<br /> <br /> “I’m fascinated that journalists react so quickly. It is not long ago that Red Bull had some very successful years. Now we have had six races and we are not so successful and there are already discussions about my future.<br /> <br /> “We are still the second force in Formula One, ahead of Ferrari, so it could be worse.”

Don’t write us off yet, says Sebastian Vettel

Quadruple world champion Sebastian Vettel believes Red Bull could still capture a title in 2014, despite failing to beat current lead...

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Egypt extends presidential vote after low turnout

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <strong><strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DlQ2VuA6CF8/U4aXYfUgdII/AAAAAAAAAbE/135m7rUegsM/s1600/714346-egyptvote-1401285813-518-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DlQ2VuA6CF8/U4aXYfUgdII/AAAAAAAAAbE/135m7rUegsM/s1600/714346-egyptvote-1401285813-518-160x120.jpg" width="200" /></a></strong></strong></div> <br /> <strong><strong>CAIRO:</strong></strong><br /> <br /> <strong><strong> </strong>Egypt extended voting into a third day Wednesday in a presidential election seen as a plebiscite on the former army chief, after turnout fell below that in the poll won by the conservative leader he ousted.</strong><br /> <br /> The move raised further question marks about the democratic credentials of an election already marred by a deadly crackdown on the main opposition since last year.<br /> <br /> Electoral officials said over the scheduled two days of polling Monday and Tuesday just 37 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballot – well below the nearly 52 per cent who voted in the 2012 election that brought president Mohamed Morsi to power.<br /> <br /> The low turnout came despite a personal appeal from retired field marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who had been seeking vindication from the voters for his overthrow of Egypt’s only freely elected president last July after a single turbulent year in power.<br /> <br /> Sisi, whose victory over his sole rival, leftist leader Hamdeen Sabbahi, was never in doubt, had urged “40, 45 (million) or even more” of Egypt’s 53 million eligible voters to turn out to give credibility to an election boycotted not only by Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood but also by influential secular groups.<br /> <br /> After reports of a meagre numbers at polling stations on the first day of voting Monday, Sisi’s backers in the state-run media harangued people to go out and vote.<br /> <br /> An electoral official said polling had been extended to “give a chance to the largest possible number of voters to cast their ballots.”<br /> <br /> On Wednesday, several Cairo polling stations visited by AFP were deserted in the initial hours of voting.<br /> “They didn’t get enough votes, so they extended polling into a third day,” complained filmmaker Mohamed Ali Hagar, who said he would stay away regardless.<br /> <br /> “All elections in this country are rigged.”<br /> The extension of polling hours in a bid to boost turnout did little to raise the credibility of the vote in the eyes of Western governments whose longstanding alliance with Cairo was seriously compromised by last year’s overthrow of the elected president.<br /> <br /> “The regime had projected Sisi in a certain way, but that facade has been undermined… support for Sisi was overstated,” said Shadi Hamid, of the Brookings Institution’s Saban Centre.<br /> <br /> “Nobody outside Egypt or in the West was under illusion that this was a free and fair election… It makes the regime look incompetent and transparently cynical,” he told AFP.<br /> <br /> Sabbahi slammed the extension, saying it raised “questions… about the integrity of the process”.<br /> His campaign team announced it was withdrawing its observers from polling stations.<br /> <br /> Sisi’s campaign team too filed a complaint against the extension, suggesting an extra day of polling might be a burden on voters.<br /> <br /> “We had hoped the commission would extend voting each day after 9:00 pm because it is very hot,” Sisi’s spokeswoman Mona el-Kouedi told AFP.<br /> <br /> “But we think an extra day would be an exertion for voters, and the judges (overseeing the vote) would get tired.”<br /> <br /> Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, which had championed a boycott of the election, hailed the low turnout.<br /> “The great Egyptian people have given a new slap to the military coup’s roadmap and … written the death certificate of the military coup,” the Brotherhood’s political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, said.<br /> <br /> The Brotherhood has been subjected to a massive crackdown in which hundreds of its supporters have been killed and was designated a terrorist organisation last December.<br /> <br /> All of the movement’s main leaders are now in jail or exile and Morsi himself is on trial on charges that could carry the death penalty.<br /> <br /> Several key activists behind the Arab Spring uprising that ousted long-time strongman Hosni Mubarak in 2011 had also called for a boycott charging that Sisi was a new autocrat in the making.<br /> <br /> Sisi’s ouster of Morsi on July 3 triggered the worst peacetime bloodshed in Egypt’s recent history, but the former army chief has vowed to stamp out the violence.<br /> <br /> He has said “true democracy” in the Arab world’s most populous nation will take a couple of decades.<br /> A big security force deployment prevented any major polling day incidents.<br /> <br /> But in the restive Sinai Peninsula, where Egypt’s deadliest militant group has its base, gunmen killed a soldier near the Gaza border on Wednesday, security officials said.

Egypt extends presidential vote after low turnout

CAIRO:   Egypt extended voting into a third day Wednesday in a presidential election seen as a plebiscite on the former army chief, ...

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Issues resolved: Pak-China border reopens for trade

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <strong><strong><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fb-eTJekSbM/U4aW_E_6g0I/AAAAAAAAAa8/YY6V3SWYBJQ/s1600/714577-natotruckstradexcopy-1401300148-555-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fb-eTJekSbM/U4aW_E_6g0I/AAAAAAAAAa8/YY6V3SWYBJQ/s1600/714577-natotruckstradexcopy-1401300148-555-160x120.jpg" width="200" /></a></strong></strong></div> <br /> <strong><strong>ISLAMABAD: </strong> </strong><br /> <br /> <strong>After remaining closed for over 20 days, Pakistan-China border has finally been reopened for trade with successful negotiation between traders and the central government in Islamabad.</strong><br /> <br /> After a series of meetings held with the commerce minister, FBR chairman, minister for Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Affairs, the traders’ representatives here on Wednesday announced the reopening of Sost dry port for all kinds of imports and exports.<br /> <br /> The announcement was made at the Ministry of Kashmir and G-B Affairs after a detailed meeting held with Minister Chaudhry Barjees Tahir and other officials of the ministry. The delegation of traders was also accompanied by members of G-B Council including Advocate Amjad Hussain and Ataullah Shahab.<br /> <br /> According to official sources, all the demands of traders have been accepted by the authorities concerned and following the development, the dry port has been opened for bilateral trade on Wednesday. One of the major demand of the traders regarding an end to the existing two-day-a-week closure of the port has been accepted and a notification regarding the development will be issued by June 10, 2014.<br /> <br /> Federal Board of Revenue and custom officials have assured that the consignments of importers/exporters will not be opened for any re-check and inspection in other parts of the country once they are cleared from the dry port.<br /> <br /> “The traders have withdrawn their demand related to Income Tax and Sales Tax being collected at the port keeping in view that the issue needed new legislation,” said former president of the G-B Chambers of Commerce and Industry Javed Hussain. Apart from the issue of having technical complexities, 80% of the taxes would now go towards G-B. Since the larger part of the taxes will benefit the people of G-B, the traders will not object for their collection.<br /> <br /> He concluded with saying that the traders strike was very successful.

Issues resolved: Pak-China border reopens for trade

ISLAMABAD:   After remaining closed for over 20 days, Pakistan-China border has finally been reopened for trade with successful nego...

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Auchan faces probe over Bangladesh garment factory collapse

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <strong><strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hqj7XRNLakQ/U4aWruJhrGI/AAAAAAAAAa0/75SRK8FSwlg/s1600/714443-BangladeshgarmentAFP-1401291836-519-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hqj7XRNLakQ/U4aWruJhrGI/AAAAAAAAAa0/75SRK8FSwlg/s1600/714443-BangladeshgarmentAFP-1401291836-519-160x120.jpg" width="200" /></a></strong></strong></div> <br /> <strong><strong>AFP: </strong> </strong><br /> <br /> <strong>French prosecutors said Wednesday they have opened a preliminary probe into supermarket giant Auchan over complaints it misled consumers over social conditions at its clothes manufacturers in the wake of last year’s deadly Bangladesh factory disaster.</strong><br /> <br /> The prosecutor’s office in the northern city of Lille confirmed that following a complaint by three lobby groups, it had opened a preliminary probe over misleading advertising in the context of the disaster which killed over 1,000 people.<br /> <br /> Auchan says it had never placed any orders at the Rana Plaza garment factory which collapsed on April 24 last year after a catastrophic structural failure.<br /> <br /> But three lobby groups last month accused Auchan in a complaint of misleading customers about working conditions overseas and claim that an investigation found labels from the chain’s “In Extenso” range in the rubble.<br /> <br /> Sherpa, a non profit organisation for the “victims of economic crimes.” Peuples Solidaires (People’s Solidarity), and the Ethique sur l’etiquette (Ethics on Labels) collective, claim a number of witnesses, including some in Bangladesh, are available to provide evidence.<br /> <br /> They accused Auchan of “misleading French consumers on working conditions in the places where its products are manufactured”.<br /> <br /> Auchan said Wednesday it had not been informed of the probe, and if confirmed, would cooperate with prosecutors in good faith.<br /> <br /> The collapse of the eight-storey Rana Plaza killed 1,138 workers and left more than 2,000 injured.<br /> The tragedy, one of the world’s worst garment factory disasters, highlighted poor safety and appalling working conditions at the factory.<br /> <br /> Auchan operates in more than a dozen countries and had sales of over 48 billion euros ($65 billion) last year.<br /> The company has said it had made “a number of changes” in response to the disaster, including signing an agreement with 158 international companies which aims to improve the safety of textile factory workers in Bangladesh.<br /> <br /> It has also launched an action plan against undeclared sub-contracting.

Auchan faces probe over Bangladesh garment factory collapse

AFP:   French prosecutors said Wednesday they have opened a preliminary probe into supermarket giant Auchan over complaints it misle...

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Google to build self-driving cars with no steering wheel

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <strong><strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Kdv9-xfJhA/U4aWOtYWKiI/AAAAAAAAAaw/mf2tuAEXlgA/s1600/714580-google-1401299025-411-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--Kdv9-xfJhA/U4aWOtYWKiI/AAAAAAAAAaw/mf2tuAEXlgA/s1600/714580-google-1401299025-411-160x120.jpg" width="320" /></a></strong></strong></div> <br /> <strong><strong>LOS ANGELES: </strong></strong><br /> <br /> <strong><strong> </strong>Google on Wednesday unveiled plans to build its own self-driving car, minus the steering wheel, and that it hopes to begin testing in the coming months.</strong><br /> <br /> “They won’t have a steering wheel, accelerator pedal, or brake pedal… because they don’t need them. Our software and sensors do all the work,” Google’s Chris Urmson said in a <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/just-press-go-designing-self-driving.html" target="_self">blog post</a>.<br /> <br /> Urmson said Google plans to build about 100 prototype vehicles, “and later this summer, our safety drivers will start testing early versions of these vehicles that have manual controls.”<br /> <br /> He added, “If all goes well, we’d like to run a small pilot program here in California in the next couple of years.”<br /> <br /> For Google, the car marks a shift away from adapting vehicles made by others in its quest to pioneer individual transport that needs only a stop-and-go function.<br /> <br /> “It was inspiring to start with a blank sheet of paper and ask, ‘What should be different about this kind of vehicle?’” the post said.<br /> <br /> The top speed of the battery-powered prototypes will be 40 kilometers (25 miles) per hour and are designed for utility, not luxury.<br /> <br /> “We’re light on creature comforts, but we’ll have two seats (with seatbelts), a space for passengers’ belongings, buttons to start and stop, and a screen that shows the route, and that’s about it,” Urmson said.<br /> The blog post shows a photo of a prototype and an artist’s rendering, both rounded bug-looking vehicles.<br /> <br /> “We took a look from the ground up of what a self-driving car would look like,” Google co-founder Sergey Brin told the Re/code conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.<br /> <br /> “The reason I’m so excited about these prototypes and the self-driving car project in general is the ability to change the world and the community around you,” Brin added.<br /> <br /> Brin said Google is likely “to partner with a lot of companies” on the project, but declined to elaborate.<br /> Until now Google has been re-fitting Lexus and Honda cars to work as self-driving ones.<br /> <br /> In an interview with Re/code, Urmson said the new Google cars will have numerous safety features learned from the company’s research.<br /> <br /> “In our car there is no steering wheel so we have to design really fundamental capabilities,” he said.<br /> <br /> “So we have effectively two motors and they work so if one of them fails the other can steer, so the car can always control where it’s going, and similar with brakes.”<br /> <br /> In addition to crash protection for the occupant, the car has features to avoid pedestrians and other road users.<br /> <br /> “So the front end is a whole new approach where it’s compressible foam and a flexible windshield that should do a much better job of protecting people if an accident should occur,” Urmson told Re/code.<br /> <br /> Several automakers have been working on autonomous or semi-autonomous features for cars, such as self-parking, but no fully autonomous car has come to market.<br /> <br /> A study last year by KPMG said consumers would welcome these vehicles if companies “get the value proposition right.”<br /> <br /> This might mean “mobility on demand,” or the ability to share a vehicle or order one as needed.<br /> <br /> Google said recently it was making progress on its project. Prototype Google cars have driven more than 100,000 miles (160,000 kilometers) on public roads, always with someone ready to take the wheel.

Google to build self-driving cars with no steering wheel

LOS ANGELES:    Google on Wednesday unveiled plans to build its own self-driving car, minus the steering wheel, and that it hopes to...

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Pope makes West Bank plea for protection of children

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCjG6yjgqlk/U4KYysW79mI/AAAAAAAAAaY/qIHZd9dFeT8/s1600/712887-pope-1401015876-485-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bCjG6yjgqlk/U4KYysW79mI/AAAAAAAAAaY/qIHZd9dFeT8/s1600/712887-pope-1401015876-485-160x120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> <b><b>JERUSALEM: </b></b><br /> <br /> <b><b> </b>Pope Francis made an impassioned plea Sunday for the protection of children at a mass in Bethlehem’s Manager Square in the West Bank, where rights groups say minors are mistreated by Israel.</b><br /> <br /> “Children are crying, they are crying a lot, and their crying challenges us,” the Argentine pontiff told thousands of Roman Catholic pilgrims in Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus, on the second day of his Middle East pilgrimage.<br /> <br /> “All too many children continue to be exploited, maltreated, enslaved, prey to violence and illicit trafficking. Still too many children live in exile, as refugees,” said the pontiff, famed for defending the sick, poor and downtrodden.<br /> <br /> Francis was speaking ahead of a meeting with children in the Dheisheh refugee camp and a lunch with refugee families in a huge morale boost for Palestinians, who have called on him to help end Israeli occupation.<br /> <br /> The pope made an unscheduled stop at the West Bank barrier after calling for an end to the “increasingly unacceptable” Israeli-Palestinian conflict before dedicating his mass to the theme of children.<br /> <br /> He lambasted those who abandon children to sickness and hunger, a weapons trade that funnels arms into the hands of child-soldiers and those who use the slave labour of minors to produce their goods.<br /> <br /> “Their cry is stifled: they must fight, they must work, they cannot cry! But their mothers cry for them. They weep for their children, and they refuse to be consoled,” he said.<br /> <br /> Children are “a marker indicating the health of families, society and the whole world,” Francis said, speaking in front of a giant tableau of the birth of Jesus.<br /> <br /> International rights groups have heavily criticised the treatment of Palestinian youngsters by Israel’s military, with a report this month finding increasing numbers of arrested minors are placed in solitary confinement.<br /> <br /> Under international pressure to introduce reforms, the Israeli army agreed last year to try alternative treatment of children detained in the West Bank, but the UN Children’s Fund has warned of ongoing physical violence and verbal abuse.<br /> <br /> A 2013 Unicef report found Israel was the only country in the world to systematically try children in military courts, often after being aggressively awakened in the night by armed soldiers, blindfolded and deprived of sleep.<br /> <br /> The vast majority of arrests are for throwing stones.

Pope makes West Bank plea for protection of children

JERUSALEM:    Pope Francis made an impassioned plea Sunday for the protection of children at a mass in Bethlehem’s Manager Square in...

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Top Three Qualities Of A Successful Blogger

<br /> <b>The qualities of a blogger</b> should be attended at all times in order to become someone popular on the internet, a blogger should have plenty of ideas for creative writing, along with a truckload of motivation. The results sought will not come overnight, there's no guarantee that this will be easy. What we need first are two things in order realize your dream of running a successful blog: a lot of exclusive content and readers' loyalty. In each case, time is required to develop the success. This is a process and not a short-term event.<br /> <br /> <div class="ssmainhide" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktSOS8_1SG_hvUzveIGCxjkEMynf1B3WexusSto8oVTe0m-7GU6dAolF5dSlTZpHWY8RZHSs9B4RJPL2CQVOfpfKph9TnhhZWiND641H86aSjE2aaCOEcDToQGlNRPxfGcTSafnXyoaUN/s1600/3-qualities-to-become-successful-blogger.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="qualities of a blogger" border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiktSOS8_1SG_hvUzveIGCxjkEMynf1B3WexusSto8oVTe0m-7GU6dAolF5dSlTZpHWY8RZHSs9B4RJPL2CQVOfpfKph9TnhhZWiND641H86aSjE2aaCOEcDToQGlNRPxfGcTSafnXyoaUN/s320/3-qualities-to-become-successful-blogger.jpeg" title="3 qualities to become a successful blogger" width="320" /></a></div> <h2> Top Qualities To Become a Successful Blogger </h2> Here are three qualities of a blogger who as a site administrator will need to have, if his goal is to manage a successful blog<br /> <h3> Patience</h3> A successful blog is a product of time and effort and as a site administrator, you will need patience. As I said before, the results will not arrive quickly overnight, therefore, it is important to realize this from the start. If you are constantly trying to develop new and creative ideas for writing on your blog and at the same time you are worried if you will see any results, this will only make things more difficult. The building of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blogger_%28service%29" rel="nofollow">blogging platform</a> is a "long term" effort, so, you must decide whether to accept the challenge or not. This is one the most important <b>qualities of a blogger</b>.<br /> <!-- adsense --> <br /> <h3> Credibility</h3> Much of the traffic of any successful blog is based on publishing unique content, as well, its credibility. In fact, the quality of what is in the site will have a direct impact on what will become viral visitors that are coming to your platform. If you will provide quality content, then people will talk about your blog, and if they do, others will come to see what you have. Depends on you to publish useful and accurate information, your readers will do the rest. <br /> <h3> Consistency</h3> Maintaining a steady stream of creative writing ideas is vital to be able to constantly update the blog. The frequency of publication to a proper schedule is related to the amount of time you have available and your level of motivation. However, it is important to establish a sort of consistency, so that people can schedule their own visits accordingly. Just remember that the more often you write, the more people will visit, so their loyalty will grow faster and their referrals will be extended.

Top Three Qualities Of A Successful Blogger

The qualities of a blogger should be attended at all times in order to become someone popular on the internet, a blogger should have plent...

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How TO write Seo Optimized Blog Posts

I'm not a SEO Expert, nor what we will read further is a top secret, but this is about the basic positioning that everyone should apply in order to optimize their blog posts. And with these techniques, effort, and a lot of patience, we can occupy the best places in the search results of different search engines.<br /> <br /> For sure not all the cases are alike, neither all blogs are positioned in the same manner, some might have greater competition than others depending on how popular is the topic that they handle, thus, when it comes to web positioning, there's no specific time that applies for all. Having said this, let's begin.<br /> <br /> <div class="ssmainhide" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Qlt3RJPL3UBf6sBSTpG3rC0IRzQKjd7UYwOiKgn2pfE8hwHJgIroq318_F2DlcytTvg_V0dAMv00QJP1iyVdI_VlsCA16qeAnAPjiYXVV6l6GN2Z6cZWei_JzgZB_z5aOgueGSZpycNI/s1600/blog-post-optimization1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Qlt3RJPL3UBf6sBSTpG3rC0IRzQKjd7UYwOiKgn2pfE8hwHJgIroq318_F2DlcytTvg_V0dAMv00QJP1iyVdI_VlsCA16qeAnAPjiYXVV6l6GN2Z6cZWei_JzgZB_z5aOgueGSZpycNI/s1600/blog-post-optimization1.png" /></a></div> <br /> <h3> Focus on a topic</h3> <!-- adsense --> Whatever the theme of your blog is, when writing a post, try focusing on a definite subject that has a clear objective and has no distractions. For example, if you write about Digital Cameras, then the beginning and the end of the post should be only about it. Don't start talking about digital cameras and end up telling about what you have done last weekend. A reader goes to a page because is looking for a specific information, so unless it is not a personal blog (where you write about your daily life) do not digress.<br /> <br /> <h3> Define the post title</h3> <br /> The post title should be precise, so that you can briefly summarize the content of the post, but you must not abuse this either, and although it should be concise, do not save words that might be keys to the search.<br /> <br /> Examples: <br /> <blockquote> Collection of all the cameras that have been released last year on the market</blockquote> <blockquote> The best digital cameras of 2012</blockquote> Clearly, the first one hasn't been defined very much and the second is not only more accurate but it is more appropriate as well, for what people are searching on the internet.<br /> <br /> <h3> The keywords</h3> <br /> Keywords are those terms that the most people search for on the internet and you should try focusing on them when writing an article; these keywords have to be included throughout the entire article but you should be careful not repeating them too many times.<br /> <br /> Example: <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> During the fourth week of the technology, there were many products that are utilized today, and the most famous experts gave a speech on them.</blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> At the opening of the fourth Technology Week, the experts talked about various topics, including how to choose a digital camera, had discussions about the pros and cons of the iPad, and which are the best smartphones.</blockquote> In the first example we have written without giving importance to any terms, meanwhile, in the second one, we used phrases that are searched on the internet by the most users.<br /> <br /> So, the most frequent search terms should be included wisely without cluttering your posts with them, or it can be counterproductive.<br /> <br /> These keywords should be added in the title of the posts, as well.<br /> <br /> <h3> Rely on synonyms</h3> <br /> While it is good using keywords, we should not limit ourselves to a single word. It is recommended using synonyms because users do not name things in same way and using less keywords, you'll avoid leaving the reader under the impression that you are being repetitive and insistent.<br /> <br /> Examples: <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> For those who like good quality pictures, Nikon D7000s Digital Camera is a 16.2 megapixel digital camera that takes great pictures.</blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> For those who like good quality images, Nikon D7000s is a 16.2 megapixel digital camera that takes excellent pictures.</blockquote> <br /> In the first example we have repeated the word digital camera and pictures twice, meanwhile, in the second one, we used the digital camera keyword once and changed the word pictures with images.<br /> <br /> This way, the reader will find a greater diversity of words and might enjoy the article more.<br /> <br /> <h3> Using bold and italics</h3> <br /> The main keywords should be highlighted, so that they will stand out from the rest; this is taken into account by the search engine robots being like some kind of lures for them, so the words with which you want to position yourself, need to be highlighted with bold, but be careful, this shouldn't be done with CSS, but with HTML, i.e. they should not be tagged with <b>font-weight: bold;</b> but rather with <b><b></b> or even better, with <b><strong></b>.<br /> <br /> Examples: <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> For those who like <b>good quality images</b>, <b>Nikon D7000s</b> is a 16.2 megapixel <b>digital camera</b> that takes excellent pictures<b></b>.</blockquote> The result seems to be the same, but it is not. Although the three sentences are in bold, only one is more attractive to robots, which is the first. <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> For those who like <b><span style="font-weight: bold;"></b>good quality images<b></span>, <strong></b>Nikon D7000s<b></strong></b> is a 16.2 megapixel <b><b></b>digital camera<b></b></b> that takes excellent pictures<b></b>.</blockquote> The same goes for the italics, use them for highlighting important words, but do not put them between <b>font-style: italic;</b> but rather between <b><i></b> or even better <b><em></b>. <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> For those who like <b><span style="font-style: italic;"></b>good quality images<b></span></b>, <b><em></b>Nikon D7000s<b></em></b> is a 16.2 megapixel <b><i></b>digital camera<b></i></b> that takes excellent pictures.</blockquote> Again, the first has a better chance of positioning than the others. So, it is recommended to highlight the keywords in bold and italics, or to put them between <b><strong></b> and <b></strong></b>, or between <b><em></b> and <b></em></b>.<br /> <h3> Using links</h3> Some believe that we shouldn't use links in the posts because this way we are giving away our Page Rank. This is not quite true, using referral links to sites that have already shaped their credibility, will also help us to shape our own. Certainly, we should not flood our posts with links, but we can do it when is necessary and especially with sites that address the same topics as you.<br /> <br /> Also, avoid putting the typical "click here" or similar texts. When you put a link, the anchor text should be fairly descriptive.<br /> <br /> Examples: <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <a href="Link URL"><b>Click here</b></a> to know more</blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> More information about <a href="Link URL"><b>digital cameras</b></a></blockquote> In the first example, the anchor text is not relevant and descriptive, in the second it is.<br /> <br /> <h3> Illustrating with images</h3> Articles with images are not only visually appealing, but might help the reader to understand what you are talking about, thus, whenever you can, use an image in your post to illustrate the publishing, but do not overdo it, because many images or very large images can slow the loading time of the blog. <br /> <h3> New and relevant content</h3> You should focus not only on writing many posts, but also making them relevant to your readers. New and original content is more attractive to the search engines than a copy & paste and actually, the last gets penalized. So try to write new stuff, even if you think that all has been said, it isn't so, each person has a different way of saying things.<br /> <br /> Also, always try to get informed before writing an article; do a research and see if the information is valid, based on that, you will gain the trust of your readers.<br /> <br /> With these few techniques you can increase the chances of positioning your posts on the internet. As I said earlier, these aren't things that no one heard about, but I know that many are beginners and don't know how to optimize the blog posts.<br /> <br /> It does not hurt repeating that the positioning is not given overnight, but with some effort and patience, you should see the desired results over time.

How TO write Seo Optimized Blog Posts

I'm not a SEO Expert, nor what we will read further is a top secret, but this is about the basic positioning that everyone should apply ...

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The difference between white hat seo and black hat seo

The search engine optimization (SEO) is a good chance to promote your blog on Google search results and other search engines. For those who don't understand how SEO works, I've posted some articles on this blog that may help, but it's important to understand that there are good and bad techniques that could have a direct impact on your ranking. So, in this post I'll talk about the terms known to those who are familiar with SEO - the black and white hat - and we will get to know what's good and what is not when we think about optimizing our website and its content.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hd1YucbAheU/U4F6gjxXT0I/AAAAAAAAAZ8/QjCZV20Y7WA/s1600/differences-between-black-hat-white-hat-seo-techniques.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hd1YucbAheU/U4F6gjxXT0I/AAAAAAAAAZ8/QjCZV20Y7WA/s1600/differences-between-black-hat-white-hat-seo-techniques.png" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <h3> <b>What is black hat seo?</b></h3> From the 'SEO dictionary', the term black hat has to do with the abusive techniques that will force the search engines to look at a specific site and rank it. This might work at first, but the algorithms can already see some of these techniques that have become common for a fast result.<br /> <br /> Such practices to trick the search engines are, for example, the excessive use of keywords, especially in headings and subheadings; transparent keywords to the user - the so-called hidden text, automatically generated content, pages redirecting automatically to other content and more. <!-- adsense --> <br /> <h3> <b>What is white hat seo? </b></h3> The white hat has to do with the good techniques in the 'eyes' of search engines. These are considered ethical techniques for the ranking, helping, thus, the positioning of a website or blog. However, working the white hat is a process that requires dedication and results may take longer to appear (this is why so many people opt for black hat in order to 'try' something more 'effective') but the results could be much more stable and satisfactory.<br /> <br /> Keep in mind that Google has good tricks up its sleeve to penalize anyone who doesn't act in accordance with the policies and rules of their website - this includes removing your page from any of the positions. Fair enough, after all, why Google would 'reward' somebody with the top spot if he doesn't provide good content for his users and, at the same time, doesn't meet the requirements of the algorithm?<br /> <br /> For those who are interested and want to stay on top of Google search results, visit this <a href="https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/35769?hl=en" rel="nofollow" style="color: blue;">webmaster guidelines page</a>. There, you can find further information about how to create a good content, how the design of your blog/site should be and how to work with your links. There you can also find mentions about black hat techniques.<br /> <br />

The difference between white hat seo and black hat seo

The search engine optimization (SEO) is a good chance to promote your blog on Google search results and other search engines. For those who ...

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5 Easy Ways To Improve Teh Seo Of The Blog & Boost Trafic

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A3uo228iNjg/U4F5ZX0HHuI/AAAAAAAAAZw/ilLcehoy4fM/s1600/ways-to-improve-seo-of-a-blog-and-boost-traffic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-A3uo228iNjg/U4F5ZX0HHuI/AAAAAAAAAZw/ilLcehoy4fM/s1600/ways-to-improve-seo-of-a-blog-and-boost-traffic.png" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> A blogger needs to know at least the minimum on SEO. For it, you don't need to be an SEO expert but you need to know the minimum so that your posts are well indexed in search engines.<br /> <br /> The phrase "content is king" is one of the widest spread internet memes and is used by many bloggers, with the idea that you should focus on having quality content, while the rest don't matter much. This is not true. Quality content is important, but that shouldn't be the only concern of a blogger today. In addition to producing quality content, your text needs to be optimized for search engines.<br /> <br /> <b><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5 Easy Ways To Improve Teh Seo Of The Blog </span></span></b><br /> <br /> In this post, I will talk about of what would be the basics that any blogger needs to learn about SEO and other simple SEO knowledge. Below are 5 tips to improve the SEO of your blog:<br /> <br /> <b>1. Define the keyword </b> <br /> <br /> When you write a post, it is necessary to choose the keyword (or term) suitable for your text. What you want is that this keyword or term to be searched on Google and then get your post among the top. For this, it is necessary to use this keyword a few times in the text.<br /> <br /> <b>2. Use the keyword in the post title </b><br /> <br /> Now that I have defined the keyword, I will use it in the post title. This step is very important and certainly will help you to get a better rank in search engines. As you can see, what I have in my title is the <b>easy ways to improve the SEO of a blog</b> keyword, along with other words to form an attractive and optimized title for SEO.<br /> <br /> <b>3. Use the keyword in the H2 tags </b><br /> <br /> You must also use heading tags (h2, h3) in your posts. In this post, I am using the keyword "<b>easy ways to improve the SEO of a blog</b>" in a H2 header. Do this always, because it also helps to become well positioned in the search results. If you don't know or don't understand what are the header tags, I would suggest to do a further research on this subject. <br /> <br /> <b>4. Use the keyword in the text </b><br /> <br /> You must use your keywords throughout the text. Especially in the first paragraph (please note that I have repeated the title in italics on the first line). But be careful when doing this, there is a maximum and minimum limit for that. Your text needs to be between 1 and 4.5% of occurrences of the keyword. Less than that will have no effect and more than that can alert the search engines and your text might be considered spam.<br /> <br /> <b>5. Write posts with more than 300 words </b><br /> <br /> Posts under 300 words have little chance to be among the top results in search engines. Of course, you will be able to rank for multiple keywords that are less popular with less than 300 words text, but for the most competitive keywords that have the potential to bring a greater number of visits, it will be nearly impossible.<br /> <br /> Thus, it is recommended to write posts with more than 300 words. It's not hard when you really understand the subject you're talking about.

5 Easy Ways To Improve Teh Seo Of The Blog & Boost Trafic

A blogger needs to know at least the minimum on SEO. For it, you don't need to be an SEO expert but you need to know the minimum so ...

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Real Madrid beat Atletico to lift record 10th Champions League title

<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <strong><strong><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cnlvA03a4Fo/U4FuomyXrFI/AAAAAAAAAZk/EOLN3KZLCo8/s1600/712851-realmadrid-1400970310-282-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cnlvA03a4Fo/U4FuomyXrFI/AAAAAAAAAZk/EOLN3KZLCo8/s1600/712851-realmadrid-1400970310-282-160x120.jpg" width="320" /></a></strong></strong></div> <br /> <strong><strong>LISBON: </strong> </strong><br /> <br /> <strong>Real Madrid won the Champions League for the 10th time thanks to extra time goals from Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo as they came from behind in dramatic circumstances to beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 in Lisbon on Saturday.</strong><br /> <br /> Atletico seemed set for their first ever European crown as they led deep into stoppage time thanks to Diego Godin’s first-half header, but Sergio Ramos took the game into extra time with a towering header in the 93rd minute.<br /> <br /> And for the second time this season having already scored the winner to hand Real the Copa del Rey against Barcelona last month, Bale scored the crucial goal when he headed into an empty net after Thibaut Courtois had parried Angel di Maria’s effort.<br /> <br /> With Atletico committed to finding an equaliser, Real were able to counter-attack at will and Marcelo killed the game off when his low shot had too much power for Courtois before Ronaldo sealed his return to Lisbon with a fourth from the penalty spot.<br /> <br /> “It is the most important goal I have scored,” said Ramos.<br /> <br /> “It is an incredible feeling. We kept fighting until the end for the fans. It is not my goal, but one for all Madrid fans, my family and all those that have supported us until the end. We deserved it after so many years.”<br /> <br /> Real coach Carlo Ancelotti, meanwhile, becomes the first man since Bob Paisley to win the competition three times.<br /> <br /> “We have done it with a lot of suffering and difficulty, but in the end we have done it and we deserved it,” said the Italian.<br /> <br /> “I am very happy for this because we have won a trophy that for Real Madrid is very important. We have worked hard all year for this.”<br /> <br /> Atletico captain Gabi admitted that his side had been well-beaten in extra time after suffering the body blow of Ramos’ equaliser.<br /> <br /> “They managed to equalise and that is football,” he told Television Espanola.<br /> <br /> “After the extra time they were deserving winners. We have competed for a year like animals and we have gone as far as we could.”<br /> <br /> Atletico’s top scorer Diego Costa had been surprisingly included in Diego Simeone’s starting line-up despite suffering a hamstring injury just seven days ago as Atletico clinched the La Liga title against Barcelona.<br /> <br /> However, the Brazilian-born striker lasted just nine minutes as he hobbled off to be replaced by Adrian Lopez.<br /> <br /> Bale had the first clear chance of the match when the Welshman pounced on Tiago’s errant pass in midfield and scampered forward into the area but side-footed wide on his favoured left foot.<br /> <br /> Three minutes later it was Atletico who took the lead as Juanfran headed a cleared corner back into the box and Godin took advantage of indecision by Iker Casillas to loop the ball over the Spanish captain and just over the line.<br /> <br /> Ronaldo had a couple of half-chances to level at the start of the second-half as Courtois awkwardly tipped another free-kick from distance over before the Portuguese captain headed just wide from a corner.<br /> <br /> As Real took more risks to find the equaliser, though, Atletico were also becoming more dangerous on the break and Adrian was unfortunate to see his goalbound effort deflected just wide by Sami Khedira.<br /> <br /> Bale wasted another good opening as he sprinted onto Ronaldo’s pass, but chose the wrong option in trying to squeeze the ball home at the near post and dumped the ball into the side netting.<br /> <br /> Just when Atletico thought they had the trophy won, though, Real got their reward as Ramos rose to power Luka Modric’s corner past the helpless Courtois.<br /> <br /> Atletico’s tiredness then showed in the second period of extra time as Real had too much pace and power and finally went in front 10 minutes from the end when Di Maria burst into the area and despite his effort being saved by Courtois, Bale was on hand to head in at the back post.<br /> <br /> Courtois also got a hand to Marcelo’s low drive eight minutes later, but the Belgian international couldn’t keep it out.<br /> <br /> And Ronaldo got the goal he craved back in his homeland when he was clipped by Gabi moments later and got back up to slam the resulting penalty home.

Real Madrid beat Atletico to lift record 10th Champions League title

LISBON:   Real Madrid won the Champions League for the 10th time thanks to extra time goals from Gareth Bale, Marcelo and Cristiano ...

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Junior Hockey Championship: Hussain’s brace gives national title to NBP

<div> <strong> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBYVb8Pc2tE/U4Ft4Y7USmI/AAAAAAAAAZY/_euV9M8YVU8/s1600/712705-HockeyREUTERS-1400967388-713-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XBYVb8Pc2tE/U4Ft4Y7USmI/AAAAAAAAAZY/_euV9M8YVU8/s1600/712705-HockeyREUTERS-1400967388-713-160x120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </strong></div> <div> <strong> </strong></div> <div> <strong>KARACHI: </strong></div> <div> <strong> </strong> <strong>NBP captured the 33rd National Junior Hockey Championship title on Saturday, defeating Wapda 2-1 at the Hockey Club of Pakistan Stadium in Karachi.</strong><br /> <br /> </div> Mubashir Hussain scored the opening goal in the first minute of the match as NBP led 1-0 at the interval. Wapda then contained their opponents for the better part of the second half, but Hussain struck another goal in the 60th minute on a penalty corner.<br /> <br /> Wapda’s Mohammad Ahad scored a consolation goal just a few seconds after to reduce the margin, but the team failed to equalise and gave away the title to NBP.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Punjab took the bronze medal in the championship as they defeated PIA 3-2 in the third place playoff. PIA took the lead with Abu Bakr’s goal in the 17th minute of the match, but Punjab hit back with Muhammad Asif’s goal in the 37th. Their opponents then replied with another goal through Amir Ali two minutes later to lead 2-0 at half-time.<br /> <br /> However, Punjab prevailed in the second half as Qasim Ahmed equalised in the 56th minute and Mohsin Sabir sealed the win four minutes later with his field goal.

Junior Hockey Championship: Hussain’s brace gives national title to NBP

    KARACHI:    NBP captured the 33rd National Junior Hockey Championship title on Saturday, defeating Wapda 2-1 at the Hockey Cl...

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Corruption inquiry nearing end, says ICC chief

<div> <strong> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S748AYB4sk0/U4FtdVS3rPI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/gEn5QxWHdTc/s1600/712707-ICCReuters-1400967829-410-160x120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S748AYB4sk0/U4FtdVS3rPI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/gEn5QxWHdTc/s1600/712707-ICCReuters-1400967829-410-160x120.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> </strong></div> <div> <strong> </strong></div> <div> <strong> WELLINGTON: </strong></div> <div> <strong> </strong> <strong>An inquiry into corruption that has rocked world cricket is entering its final stages, officials said on Saturday, as former New Zealand international Chris Cairns was to fly to London to be interviewed by police.</strong><br /> <br /> </div> Cairns has vehemently denied any involvement in corruption but believes he is the person alleged to be ‘Player X’ — the match-fixing ringleader mentioned by former team-mates Lou Vincent and Brendon McCullum.<br /> <br /> International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Dave Richardson said he believed investigators were ‘not far away’ from interviewing Cairns and the inquiry would be wrapped up in a matter of weeks.<br /> <br /> “We are at the end of the investigation,” Richardson told Radio Sport. “It is close to being finalised and I’m sure Chris Cairns will be spoken to and given an opportunity to put his side of the story.”<br /> <br /> Cairns’ lawyer confirmed to the New Zealand Herald that he was heading to England on Saturday to be interviewed.<br /> <br /> “Chris Cairns is meeting with the Met police to conclude the interview he started and is also hoping to meet with the ICC anti-corruption unit,” said Cairns’ lawyer Aaron Lloyd.<br /> <br /> According to a series of leaked documents in recent weeks, Vincent provided a ‘treasure trove’ of information about different offers to fix matches.<br /> <br /> When details of Vincent´s testimony first emerged, the ICC suggested it could take more than a year before the investigation was completed, but Richardson has now indicated ‘a matter of weeks’ was realistic.<br /> <br /> “Although part of it does involve a police investigation in the UK, which I can´t really vouch for as to when that will be finalised,” added Richardson.“But certainly from our perspective the investigations are close to finality and hopefully we should be making announcements pretty soon.”<br /> <br /> <strong>No probe shut down, says ACSU chief</strong><br /> <br /> The Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) of the ICC has categorically denied that the investigation was ‘shut down’ into the 2011 CB40 match between Kent and Sussex in Hove by the ruling body, according to ESPNcricinfo.<br /> <br /> ThE match saw New Zealand’s Lou Vincent and Pakistan-born first-class cricketer Naveed Arif being involved in alleged match-fixing and then being charged by England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).<br /> “That was not at all the case,” said Ronnie Flanagan, head of the ACSU.<br /> <br /> “There was some correspondence between the ICC and Sussex and the ECB back then. As far as Sussex were concerned, they came to the conclusion at that early stage that this was a clean match.<br /> <br /> “In fact it was through the ACSU’s work, including work with Lou Vincent, we came to the conclusion that this match had to be re-examined and we immediately passed on the intelligence to the ECB.”

Corruption inquiry nearing end, says ICC chief

     WELLINGTON:    An inquiry into corruption that has rocked world cricket is entering its final stages, officials said on Satu...

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